CFP national championship game: Miami vs. Indiana, 7:30 p.m., Monday; TV: ESPN

He believes in the plan. Doesn’t know it, but trusts it because when you’ve reached rock bottom, there’s not much left on the plate.

“God has taught me to just trust in Him,” Miami quarterback Carson Beck says. 

It’s here where we begin to wonder if God has a sick sense of humor. Or maybe just saves the toughest roads for the earnest believers. 

Take a deep breath, everyone, and allow this unfolding plan of the past five years to wash over you.

From getting Wally Pipp’d in 2021 as Georgia’s backup quarterback, to watching Stetson Bennett lead back-to-back national title runs. From winning his first 12 games as starter in 2023, to losing by three in the SEC championship game and watching Georgia somehow fall out of the College Football Playoff.

From playing with a patchwork offensive line and underwhelming receivers who led the nation in drops in 2024, to finding a way to reach the SEC championship game despite the problems — and sustaining a season-ending elbow injury on the last play of the first half. 

From watching Gunner Stockton lead a second-half rally, win the SEC and secure a spot in the CFP, to sitting alone in his home after the season, his throwing elbow tightly bandaged after surgery, not knowing what was next. 

From the freshman flop of struggling to adjust to college life, to the NIL life as a starting SEC quarterback with Armani suits and diamond watches and a Lamborghini. To Georgia fans harassing him on social media, blaming him for the end of a championship run. 

The lowest of lows, to the highest of highs, to the lowest of lows again. 

“I had no idea where this ride was taking me,” Beck said. “A lot of soul searching. A lot of hard truths.”

Two stood out more than any others around this time last year: He wasn’t physically ready to leave for the NFL, and wasn’t returning to Georgia. So when he looked across his living room in Jacksonville, he knew he found the next path. 

There was Miami coach Mario Cristobal, explaining how close the Canes were to returning to the top of college football, and that Beck could get them there. A year later, as he went through his progressions from the Ole Miss-7 with less than 30 seconds to play in the Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinal, he finally looked left. 

A clear path.

“If people only knew the depth of what he went through,” said Denny Thompson, Beck’s quarterbacks coach at Cortx Sports Performance.  

None of this is easy. It may come with a seven-figure check and an unthinkable tax bracket, but it doesn’t mean life is candy and cookies. 

If he thought playing at Georgia was pressure-packed, imagine playing for Miami. The big, bad Canes who, when it’s right and everything is clicking, are the biggest show in South Florida. 

Bigger than the Dolphins and Heat, and the back-to-back NHL champion Panthers. Hell, bigger than Messi. 

During the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal win over defending national champion Ohio State, Beck was standing on the sideline late in the fourth quarter waiting for the drive of the game to begin. A moment where Miami would take control and leave no doubt that it not only deserved a spot in the CFP — but may just win the whole thing. 

Beck looked to his left and saw Ray Lewis. Yeah, that Ray Lewis. Canes legend, Super Bowl MVP and one bad man.

Beck’s dad, Chris Beck, was a linebacker at the Naval Academy, and Carson grew up dreaming of playing linebacker. 

“So I look at (Lewis), and just shake his hand,” Beck said. “He introduced himself, and he’s like, ‘Go win us the ball game.’ And I was like, well, now I have to. I can’t let this dude down.”

Not unlike a week later against Ole Miss, when Miami got the ball late with a chance to tie the score or win it. No need for theatrics, just seize the moment. 

“He gathered everyone around him and said we’re built for this,” said Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. “It’s that calming leadership. He can make every throw, he’s athletic as hell. But it’s that calming affect on everyone that has changed this team this year.”

It’s all part of the plan, you know. The highs, the lows, the rock bottom. 

Since the six interceptions in two losses to Louisville and SMU — the losses that started the Miami or Notre Dame CFP question — to his play over the past seven games of single-elimination football. 

One loss, and the season is over. One loss, and the path changes. 

If Miami beats Indiana in the CFP national championship game Monday in Miami Gardens, the Canes will have beaten the Nos. 1, 2, 6 and 7th-ranked teams in the 12-team playoff. 

Nothing is more important that that, Beck says. Not the millions, not the TikTok influencer girlfriend, or $250,000 car. Not the significant injury, not blowing a chance to be the quarterback leading back-to-back national title teams, or missing a chance to play for two more.

This is his team now. This is his path. 

“Everybody looks to him,” said Miami running back Mark Fletcher. “That’s our dude.” 

Nine months ago, Beck was in a brace and rehabbing his surgically-repaired ulnar ligament, and this moment was as far away as that week of practice in 2021 as the projected Georgia starter — when his college career could’ve taken off but didn’t.

These are the moments that steel a resolve. Not the money, the car, or the clothes. Or the house on South Beach.

“I’m sitting there in that brace, and I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Beck said. “I had to lean on my faith more than ever.”

Hours after the Fiesta Bowl win, Beck posted to his Instagram account a photo of him crossing the goal line with the game-winning touchdown. 

The caption simply read, ‘it’s just means more.”

A subtle jab at Georgia and the SEC. Or a reminder of what this strange trip and eventual path is all about.

“Things aren’t ever going to be perfect,” Beck said. “Though I might not understand what the end of all this might look like, His plan will come to fruition — no matter what it might be.”

The toughest road for the earnest believers. 

Frustrations seemed to boil over in Milwaukee as the Bucks were trounced by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Down by more than 30 points at halftime, fans at Fiserv Forum sent their team into the locker room with a chorus of boos.

With that memory fresh in his mind, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo − after being fouled while making the first basket of the second half − gave the crowd a thumbs-down gesture and offered some boos of his own before he stepped to the free throw line.

‘Whenever I get booed, I boo back,’ Antetokounmpo explained to reporters after the 139-106 loss.

It was the same gesture Giannis has offered fans in opposing cities several times this season, but he said it was the first time he could ever remember being booed in his home arena.

‘When people don’t believe in me, I don’t tend to be with them. I tend to do what I’m here to do, what I’m good at. … It won’t change home or away. But yeah, I’ve never been a part of something like that before and I don’t think it’s fair,’ Antetokounmpo said.

‘I’m not going to tell them what to do and how they should act when we don’t play hard. Or when we lose games, or when we’re not where we’re supposed to be. I don’t think anybody has the right to tell me how I should act on (a) basketball court after I’ve been here 13 years. And I’m basically the all-time leader in everything.’

Antetokounmpo finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Bucks lost their second consecutive game, falling to 17-23 on the season.

Mike Tomlin’s time in charge of the Pittsburgh Steelers has come to an end after 19 seasons.

Tomlin wasn’t fired. The team announced that the 53-year-old coaching veteran had decided to step down after the team’s 30-6 playoff loss to the Houston Texans.

‘Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for all the hard work, dedication and success we have shared over the last 19 years,’ Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement. ‘It is hard for me to put into words the level of respect and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin.’

Tomlin posted a 193-114-2 record across his 19 years with the Steelers and never had a losing season. He also led Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl 43 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the sixth in franchise history.

However, the Steelers struggled for the better part of the decade to win playoff games. Pittsburgh’s last postseason victory came during the 2016-17 NFL playoffs and Tomlin closed his tenure losing seven consecutive postseason games with the Steelers.

Now, Pittsburgh will look to hire a new coach for just the fourth time since 1969. Who could they target? Here’s are some potential candidates for the Steelers to consider.

8 Steelers coaching replacement candidates for Mike Tomlin

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

The Steelers hired Tomlin after a brief defensive coordinator stint with the Vikings. Could they take a similar approach by targeting Flores?

Flores has ties to the Steelers after spending the 2022 NFL season on Tomlin’s staff as a linebackers coach. He is also coming off an impressive, three-year stint as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, during which he turned Minnesota from a league-worst unit in 2022 into a defense that led the NFL in pressure rate (41.4%) during the 2025 season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Flores has previous coaching experience, leading the Dolphins to a 24-25 mark during a three-year stint in Miami. That could help the 44-year-old live up to the pressure that will come with replacing Tomlin, who never had a losing season across 19 years with the Steelers.

John Harbaugh, former Baltimore Ravens head coach

Tomlin wasn’t the only long-time AFC North coach to leave his post during the offseason. Harbaugh was fired by the Ravens after 18 years, making the Super Bowl 47 champion one of the top coaching candidates of the 2026 cycle.

The Steelers are, obviously, intimately familiar with Harbaugh having faced him dozens of times while he was with the Ravens. If they are looking for a steady hand to guide the team in the post-Tomlin era, the 63-year-old would provide that, having posted a 180-113 record across his 18 years with the Ravens.

The bigger question is whether the Steelers would target a coach on the older side, like Harbaugh, or seek out a fresh, innovative offensive mind to jumpstart their stagnant offense.

Kevin Stefanski, former Cleveland Browns head coach

If the Steelers want younger, offensive minded coaches, they could turn to yet another former AFC North coach with whom they are familiar.

Stefanski posted just a 45-56 record across six seasons with the Browns, but he twice won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. The 43-year-old led Cleveland to its first playoff win since the 1994 playoffs – which came against the Steelers in the 2020 NFL playoffs – and also led the Browns to the postseason in a 2023 campaign where the team started five different quarterbacks.

Stefanski is a respected offensive mind and could find more success in Pittsburgh, where his efforts to develop his offense wouldn’t be hamstrung by Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract.

Mike McDaniel, former Miami Dolphins head coach

McDaniel never quite got the Dolphins over the hump across his four seasons there. That said, he routinely schemed up quality offenses in Miami, sporting the league’s No. 1 passing attack with Tua Tagovailoa in 2023.

McDaniel would certainly help to modernize the Steelers’ offense, with his motion-heavy offense and creative play-calling. His reputation as a strong, run-game architect could appeal to a Pittsburgh organization that typically boasts a strong rushing attack.

Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator

The four retread candidates above could all interest the Steelers, but it’s worth noting their most recent hires – Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin – were fresh faces. So, while the idea of hiring someone like Flores or Harbaugh or Stefanski could be appealing, history tells us Pittsburgh may go the coordinator route.

If they do, Minter would be a strong candidate. The 42-year-old has experience working for both John and Jim Harbaugh and has helped turn the Chargers defense into one of the league’s most consistent units.

The Chargers had the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense in 2024, Minter’s first season with the team, and ranked eighth in defensive EPA per play this season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The Steelers could bring him aboard in the hopes he can mold Pittsburgh’s defense into a similarly elite unit.

Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator

Hafley is another young, defensive-minded candidate the Steelers could consider. The 46-year-old has done well since taking over the Packers defense ahead of the 2024 NFL season, turning them into a rock-solid unit.

In 2025, Hafley seamlessly incorporating Micah Parsons into the team’s defense after trading for the star pass rusher on eve of the season. The Packers ranked ninth in pressure rate for the campaign, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, and the prospect of pairing him with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig could excite Pittsburgh’s brain trust.

Aden Durde, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator

Durde may not be a household name, but he could draw the attention of the Steelers after his two-year stint as Seattle’s defensive coordinator.

The Seahawks sported one of the NFL’s best defenses during the 2025 season. They ranked No. 2 overall in defensive EPA per play and fourth in pressure rate, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The unit had three, All-Pro second-teamers under Durde’s watch – Ernest Jones IV, Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon – and the 46-year-old has done well to help develop and get the most out of Seattle’s talent.

Parsing out how much credit belongs to Durde and how much belongs to Mike Macdonald may be part of the process for those evaluating Durde, but he has drawn interviews this coaching cycle. The Steelers would be wise to kick the tires on the Englishman as they look for a successor to Tomlin.

Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator

The Steelers could also look at Kubiak, another up-and-coming coordinator for the Seahawks. The 38-year-old led Seattle to a top-three scoring offense in his first season with the team and helped Sam Darnold build upon his career-best 2024 season. Darnold became just the second quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in back-to-back seasons, alongside Tom Brady.

Kubiak did similarly strong work with Derek Carr in 2024, so his track record developing quarterbacks is obviously impressive. He has also worked with Kyle Shanahan (2023) and is the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak.

U.S. women’s national team midfielder Sam Coffey has completed a transfer from the NWSL’s Portland Thorns to Manchester City.

Coffey has signed with the Women’s Super League side through 2029, joining for a fee of $875,000 plus potential add-ons, ESPN reported.

The 27-year-old has become a fixture for club and country since turning pro in 2022. Coffey spent four seasons with the Thorns, earning NWSL Best XI First Team honors in three of those campaigns.

Thorns president and general manager Jeff Agoos said the club tried to keep Coffey, but the New York native wanted a new challenge in her career.

‘Sam has been an exceptional player and a leader within this squad,’ Agoos said in a news release. ‘While the Thorns organization did everything it could to keep Sam in Portland, we thought it was important to support her ambitions while we continue building a team capable of competing for championships.

‘We are grateful for her contributions and wish her success as she pursues her next opportunity.’

Coffey is considered one of the best holding midfielders in the world, and is set to boost a City side that currently leads Chelsea by six points atop the WSL table.

‘Sam’s reputation as one of the world’s best speaks for itself, and we’re delighted she’s chosen to come here ahead of other potential suitors,’ said City director of football Therese Sjogran.

‘We believe she has all the qualities needed to thrive at City and, more broadly, the WSL, and we’re excited to see how she can elevate our already superb squad of players.

‘Sam is playing at the top of her game, and I think her decision to come here shows the incredible progress we’ve made as a club and the ambitions we have moving forward.’

Coffey is the latest in a group of USWNT stars who have moved to England over the past two years, joining Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma at Chelsea and Emily Fox at Arsenal.

The midfielder has earned 42 caps for the USWNT to date, forming a key piece of the team that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.

The longest active coach-team partnership in the NFL has come to an end.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is stepping down after a two-decades long partnership that netted the franchise two Super Bowl appearances and one championship.

Tomlin never finished with a losing record in his 19 seasons with the Steelers. His 193 regular season wins are tied for ninth all-time in NFL history with fellow Steelers head coach Chuck Noll. His final game with the Steelers came in the most lopsided game of the wild-card playoffs, a 30-6 drubbing to the Houston Texans.

Tomlin, 53, was one of the youngest coaches in league history when he joined the Steelers back in 2007. It’s reasonable to believe this is not the end for his coaching career in the NFL.

This grows the number of teams looking for a head coach to nine: Atlanta, Arizona, Baltimore, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and the New York Giants. A quarter of the league is looking for a new leader next season.

If Tomlin decides to stay in coaching next season, another team will need to compensate the Steelers because he stepped down and was not fired. It’s a similar situation to what happened with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints.

Here are four places he could land:

Mike Tomlin landing spots

New York Giants

This job is attractive because it looks like the Giants should have the most important position covered: quarterback. Pittsburgh struggled to find a long-term answer at the position after Ben Roethlisberger retired and that hamstrung them in a competitive AFC. In New York, Tomlin could bring stability and experience to a team with young stars at key positions.

Tennessee Titans

Like New York, Tennessee has a young quarterback who looks to have the tools to succeed in the NFL in Cam Ward. They also have some pieces on the offensive line and Jeffery Simmons to potentially turn things around sooner than later. This is a franchise that’s performed best with a stability at the top with a defensive-minded head coach (e.g. Mike Vrabel). Tomlin would fit that mold.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta’s quarterback situation is unsettled but the rest of the roster has plenty of promising young talent. This defense turned things around in 2025 and, in the NFC South, Atlanta isn’t far from contending for the playoffs. Tomlin could view this his best way to playoff relevancy on a regular basis compared to the other openings.

Miami Dolphins

Miami has a lot of questions on its roster and Tomlin would present a stark contrast to Mike McDaniel, who the team just parted with. The Dolphins need help at multiple key positions but Tomlin would bring experience to the table unlike the team’s previous hires.

A little more than halfway through the women’s college basketball season, UConn’s Sarah Strong looks like the best player in the nation.

Strong was the lone unanimous choice to our USA TODAY Sports midseason All-American team with about two months to go until Selection Sunday. The Huskies (17-0) continue to hold down the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports women’s college coaches poll. UConn, the defending national champion, has won 34 straight dating back to last season.

USA TODAY Sports staffers Heather Burns, Meghan Hall, Cydney Henderson and Mitchell Northam voted on the team. Here’s who else made the cut and who got honorable mention:

USA TODAY COACHES POLL: Texas falls, LSU rises six spots in women’s basketball coaches poll

Sarah Strong

UConn, Jr., Forward

Strong is the motor for a UConn squad that is one of three remaining undefeated teams. The 6-foot-2 sophomore forward is often called a unicorn and has drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokic for her ability to do seemingly everything at a high level. She can bang in the paint with bigs, drain 3-pointers, bring the ball up the floor, dish out assists and pick an opponent’s pocket.

The versatile yet quiet UConn star is averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 60% from the floor, 42.4% from 3-point land and 88.9% from the free throw line. In addition to flirting with a 50-40-90 season, Strong leads the nation in win shares (4.6) and defensive rating (55.6), and is fourth in points-per-scoring-attempt (1.39).

Hannah Hidalgo

Notre Dame, Jr., Guard

Hidalgo is doing everything for Notre Dame, averaging 5.9 steals — first in the country — and 25.1 points a game, good for second. The two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year has a chance to win the national award this season and recently wreaked havoc on North Carolina in a win in South Bend.

“Hidalgo was a real problem,” Tar Heels coach Courtney Banghart said on Sunday. “Obviously, she disrupted us in all ways, I think most of (Notre Dame’s) 27 points off turnovers was because of her. And then I thought offensively, she was able to really pick on all types of all screen coverages.’

Madison Booker

Texas, Jr., Forward

Booker is the bus-driver for Texas and second in win shares to only Strong while averaging 19.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. She’s shooting a career-best 51.8% from the floor and also averaging 2.6 steals per game.

Texas looks like a team capable of making the Final Four again and Booker’s play is a big reason. The Longhorns just endured their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling 70-65 at LSU, but Booker’s 24 points and seven rebounds kept them in the game.

Mikayla Blakes

Vanderbilt, Soph., Guard

Vanderbilt has climbed to No. 5 on the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll, thanks in large part to Mikayla Blakes. The 5-foot-8 guard has powered the Commodores to a 17-0 start, which matches the best in program history. Blakes leads the SEC with 24.9 points a game, ranked third in the nation. She has reached double-digit points in every game this season and has recorded four 30-point games, including a 32-point performance in Vanderbilt’s comeback victory over No. 5 LSU.

Audi Crooks

Iowa State, Jr., Center

Audi Crooks has been unstoppable this season. The 6-foot-3 center is leading the nation with 28.3 points per game, all while shooting a staggering 69.8% from the field, which ranks second in the country. Crooks has scored double-digit points in 83 straight games, the longest active streak in NCAA women’s basketball, and has surpassed the 40-point mark three times this season. The Cyclones opened the season 14-0, before stumbling in conference play. Iowa State dropped three consecutive games, although Crooks recorded double-doubles in each of those matchups. She’s up to seven double-doubles on the season.

Honorable mentions

UCLA center Lauren Betts
Richmond forward Maggie Doogan
South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards
UConn forward Azzi Fudd
TCU guard Olivia Miles

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